Diamond's For My Best Friend's Girl
by musicalpsychology
Summary: Max gets a shock when Alec presents her with an expensive gift.


Transgenics didn't do jewellery unless it really meant something to them. Joshua had his amulet from father.. Alec had heard that Ben had a thing for religious jewellery. For years, even he'd carried around a necklace from a love lost. He never wore it.

Max didn't do jewellery. It wasn't who she was, in any way. She could wear a wig, steal fancy clothes, but she never adorned herself with anything shiny, anything expensive and sought after. She just didn't do jewellery. Alec knew that, but a part of him was at a loss for caring. It had been easy to get, and he was the only girl he thought deserved such beauty.

"Alec... wha... why?"  
He shrugged his shoulders, smiled his Alec smile at her. There was no answer there she'd want to hear.  
"How?"  
"How else? Off some bad guys... if you want to fence it, you can."  
Max examined the necklace, could practically see herself smirking as she found a price in her head. Then she shook her head. It was a gift. An amazing one at that. "I can't."  
"Why not? You broken or something?"  
"You got this for me.."  
"I get a lot of things for you, you never seem to care about thrashing my ass for it."  
Max flinched. That much was true. No matter what, he was in trouble. Yet he was so nice to her.  
"I can't wear it."  
Alec drew his brows together in a frown, confused. Was it really that ugly? Transgenics may have been more inclined to see money than beauty sometimes, but that was harsh. The diamonds were sparkly, he thought. Girls were meant to like sparkly things, genetically engineered or otherwise. "Why?"  
"Logan."  
"Oh."  
Max sighed, thumbed the necklace, still in its case, just a little bit. "He'll get jealous.. he's already jealous of you."  
Alec's frown grew in intensity. "Why?" Something made him think he was going to ask that an awful lot.  
There was a pause, then she began to speak. "I think a part of him still believes the lie we told him."  
'Lie YOU told him."  
"Whatever. I don't think he's entirely.. sure."  
Alec thought back over the time since he'd been told to look after Max, all the events following. "You two were holding hands at the flag raising. With gloves, sure.. but you guys love each other, right?" Max's eyes left the shiny piece of body adornment, found a spot in the corner to focus on. "Oh..."  
"I love him.. I do.. but its not the same anymore."  
"Same as what? I thought you were 'never like that'..?"  
A cutting look pierced through Alec, even thought she knew it was true. Then her eyes were on the necklace again. He doubted she was really even looking at it anymore. One of her thumbs graced a gem in the centre, caressing it. She looked up at Alec. "You can't tell him."  
"You have to tell him.. you can't just leave him like that. It's cruel."

There was an eerie silence in the room. Alec thought it felt like she was thinking about it. Max was under the impression he'd run out of things to say to make her feel bad. It wouldn't surprise her, she thought, right before she bit her lip far too hard. Karma. He was nothing but nice to her, had even supplied her with a diamond necklace. Normal girls wished of such things.

"I can't wear it."  
"We're back to that again Jesus, Max.."  
"Alec, I can't.. I want to.."  
"Tell him you stole it from some bad guys. That you wanted to wear it once before you fenced it, simply because you'd probably never have the chance again. Or maybe you found it. TC is deserted, it could happen. Maybe some posh lady left it behind by accident."  
Max frowned at the man before her, really no more than a boy. He made so much sense, yet none at all. Why didn't he want credit?  
"He doesn't have to know it was me."  
"Alec.. that's... I'd feel bad."  
"S'not like you're cheating on him.. Just.. wear it? Pretend it wasn't me and be happy.."

With that, she couldn't help it. She swept him up in her arms, hugging him tightly. She didn't need to express her gratitude with words. They both knew that was enough.


End file.
